The Crystal Ball: Manchester City vs. Liverpool

SCORELINE PREDICTION: Manchester City 3-2 Liverpool

Manchester City will take great confidence from their comfortable Champions League win over Olympiakos and the result from this fixture last season. Sure, the circumstances surrounding that game were much different, but Manchester City simply needs this result more than Liverpool.

Another loss at home would be disastrous for Guardiola’s side. The Cityzens cannot afford the points gap between themselves and Liverpool to get any bigger if they hope to chase down the champions and take back their crown.

On the other hand, if Liverpool performs as they did against Atalanta, there are almost no teams in the world that can cope with that level of clinical attacking football. There’s every chance that Liverpool clicks into gear and turn the tables on City as revenge for last season’s loss.

While City might not be able to entirely thwart Liverpool’s attacking verve, they are one of the only teams in England that can match them talent for talent at the attacking end. If the game turns into a high scoring, back-and-forth affair, City will be better off for it.

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Liverpool’s main task will be to stay solid defensively. The Reds will get their chances at the other end because few teams in world football are as adept at creating their chances as this Liverpool side.

Ultimately, City will weather the Reds storm and get the critical breakthrough. A win will close the gap between Liverpool and themselves to two points with a game in hand.

At that point, it will truly be game on for the rest of the season. That would mean that the reverse fixture at Anfield in February could have serious title implications, again, barring neither team suffers a catastrophic dip in form.

As a neutral observer or die-hard fan, these are the matches we love to see: two teams, in good form, comprised of world-class talents all over the pitch. Get your popcorn ready and, as Samuel L. Jackson would say, “hold onto your butts.”